Denise Stahlie Rivera has been a professional dancer since age 15. At age 10 she was accepted at the Scapino ballet in Amsterdam after an audition. She continued her dance training in jazz and ballet in Madrid, Spain in La Academia de Danza de Monteprincipe. At age 15 she participated with the group “Aerojazz” directed and choreographed by Alvin Ailey's New York dancer and sister Yvonne Stahlie. Denise discovered Zumba in 2008 and started teaching in 2009. She became a certified ZIN Member and Zumba Fitness Instructor in 2011 and in 2013.

Zumba Classes

Denise has received most of her Zumba training from Lars Wensink, a ZES (Zumba Education Specialist) for Zumba Fitness in the Netherlands. She has also received a training class from Alain Guerra in Miami at DAF studio where Beto Perez, the founder of Zumba, still teaches classes there today. Denise has taught Masterclasses at the Reebok Club in Madrid, Spain as well as at the YMCA on Marco Island in Florida (USA).

Denise currently teaches several classes a week at My Healthclub in Leeuwarden. She has released several Zumba video's on youtube which have followers world-wide. The American TV talk show Dr. OZ even featured one of her Zumba videos on one of their shows!